The Chicago Bears got good news on quarterback Caleb Williams‘ hamstring injury on Monday morning, but head coach Ben Johnson is pumping the brakes on him potentially returning to play against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3.
Late Monday morning, NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported that further testing revealed Williams avoided a major injury to his hamstring during Week 2’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings. He also added that the Bears haven’t ruled out Williams against the Eagles yet.
Johnson, however, seemed less enthusiastic about Williams’ immediate return to the field, classifying his starting quarterback as “week-to-week” in the wake of his injury.
“It sounds like it’s gonna be a week-to-week deal, but [he] will likely miss some time,” Johnson said Monday on ESPN Chicago, adding that Williams “potentially” dodged a bullet with his injury.
“He’s tough, and he comes back from these types of things I think better than the average human being.”
Bears Should Show Caution With Caleb Williams’ Return
Pelissero didn’t oversell it when he said the city of Chicago took a collective sigh of relief when positive news emerged on Williams’ injury, which looked to be quite serious given Williams’ tearful reaction and that it happened without contact from a defender.
Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in 2024, is the centerpiece of the Bears’ high-octane offense and widely considered their biggest game-changing player due to his impressive arm talent and uncanny ability to make off-schedule plays. A long-term injury would have felt like the end of the world to Bears faithful — or at least the end of the season.
That said, the Bears would be wise to show caution with Williams’ return.
Williams is young enough (24) that he might not need much time to recover from his hamstring injury, but a Grade 1 strain can take up to three or four weeks to heal. Even if Williams feels good enough to suit up against the Eagles next Monday, the Bears may need to hold him out and protect him from himself to preserve his longevity.
The Bears might even decide that Williams should sit out two weeks. That would mean him missing starts against the Eagles in Week 3 and the New York Jets in Week 4, but it would also give him a longer window to heal up before Week 5’s divisional matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on October 11.
If the long-term picture is the focus, patience may have its value.
Ben Johnson Comfortable With Tyson Bagent, If He Starts
The Bears will turn to backup quarterback Tyson Bagent to start in Williams’ place if the latter is unable to suit up against the Eagles on Monday Night Football.
Fortunately, Johnson seems unfazed.
“I called plays for him all preseason,” Johnson said of Bagent in Sunday’s postgame. “So we’ll be fine.”
Johnson has been a big supporter of Bagent over the past several months. When trade buzz swirled around Bagent in the spring and someone asked Johnson what he would tell interested teams, he jokingly coughed “no” to underscore how much he values him. He also continued to talk him up him throughout training camp this summer.
“Man, he’s been phenomenal,” Johnson said of Bagent. “I mean he’s smart as a whip. Appreciate the seriousness and intent that he brings every time that he walks into a room, meeting room, walkthrough, it doesn’t matter. He’s locked in, he’s focused. I think his teammates feel that from him. Love the fact that he throws the ball and he keeps working through his progressions just so he goes home with exactly where everyone is going to be in case he had to move on. I think he has taken this seriously. He’s preparing the right way, and I couldn’t be more thrilled that he is here with us.”
The Bears will kick off against the Eagles at 7:15 p.m. ET on Monday, September 28.
Bears’ Ben Johnson Pumps Brakes on Caleb Williams’ Status vs. Eagles